County buys site for tower

Whitman County commissioners on Monday approved a land purchase for the county’s emergency management.

Bill Tensfeld, county Emergency Management Director, told commissioners the $4,000 purchase was for about a half acre of property for a radio tower site and includes a 14-foot access. The land was purchased from Lola Finch.

The tower is located on top of the breaks of the Snake River above Lower Granite Dam. Tensfeld said the Finch family has allowed the department to locate a tower at the site for years, but he decided to acquire the site so it would officially be on county property.